Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)

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The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 by Johannes Brahms, is separated by a gap of 22 years from his Piano Concerto No. 1. Brahms began work on it in 1878 and completed the piece in 1881 while in Pressbaum near Vienna, and dedicated it to his teacher, Eduard Marxsen.

Contents

[edit] Background

The piece is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (B-flat), 2 bassoons, 4 horns (2 B-flat bass, 2 F bass), 2 trumpets (B-flat), timpani (B-flat and F), and strings (http://www.bh2000.net/score/orchbrah/brpc21.pdf).

The piece is in four movements, rather than the three typical of concertos in the Classical and Romantic periods:

  1. Allegro non troppo (B flat major)
  2. Allegro appassionato (D minor)
  3. Andante (B flat major/F sharp major)
  4. Allegretto grazioso (B flat major)

The extra movement makes the concerto considerably longer than most other concertos written up to that time; a typical performance lasts around 50 minutes. As critics noted at its first performance, the scherzo brings the concerto closer to being a symphony for piano and orchestra. As in the Piano Concerto No. 1, Brahms combined elements of the classical concerto (direct opposition of soloist and orchestra, soloist virtuosity) with the chamber music-like influences of the Baroque concerto grosso. The chamber music tendencies are especially strong in the delicate slow movement (Andante), which contains an exquisite interplay of piano, cello, and winds.

Despite its ambitious scale, when Brahms sent a copy of the completed score to his friend, the surgeon and violinist Theodore Billroth (to whom Brahms had dedicated his first two string quartets), he described the concerto as "some little piano pieces". In another incident, he called the second movement of this work a "tiny wisp of a scherzo", although it is robust music that lasts for ten minutes.

The piece was given its public premiere in Budapest on November 9, 1881 with Brahms himself playing the solo part. Unlike the Piano Concerto No. 1, which was rather coolly received and struggled before general acceptance, the Piano Concerto No. 2 was an immediate and great success. Brahms went on to perform it in a number of successful concerts in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, some conducted by Hans von Bülow.

[edit] Description

The piece is difficult mainly of its length (endurance), profundity (traversal throughout the entire emotional spectrum), and various technical difficulties, such as rapid octaves, rapid and light chords, and wide jumps.

[edit] First Movement

Allegro non troppo (B-flat Major)

This movement lasts from 17 to 20 minutes in duration, on average. It abounds in technical difficulties, mostly extreme jumps, trills, and scales. It is in mostly strict (with a few key deviations) standard sonata form, which shows that Brahms was less revolutionary than some of his contemporaries, such as Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

Analysis

Exposition

Introduction (Measures 1 - 28): The movement starts out with the horn playing the theme, piano responding. After a short interlude, the piano enters with a lengthy cadenza. The introduction is almost always played at a much slower tempo than most of the piece.

Orchestral Exposition (MM 29 - 68): Orchestra plays first theme forcefully, then leads to a transition. Two important lyrical secondary themes are introduced, and they are later used. The music increases in tension and leads to a regal section in D Minor, with the introduction of yet another theme.

Piano Exposition (MM 69 - 173): Piano enters with a short section by itself. The music builds in tension until the theme is repeated by both piano and orchestra. After this, a motif is introduced with a short transitionary section to build to the second part of the exposition, which is in the dominant key, F Major. The piano and orchestra play a light and delicate section building on the light themes introduced in the orchestral exposition. At measure 146, the music drastically changes; the key turns into the parallel minor, F Minor. The piano develops the secondary theme that was introduced in the orchestral exposition, but plays it much louder. The minor section abounds in large leaps (mostly left hand) with a difficult right hand portion (because of its duration).

Transition (MM 173 - 188): Orchestra plays very forcefully, gradually building in tension and tapering off; in most interpretations the orchestra slows down to the tempo of the introduction.

Development (MM 188 - 261): This is a lengthy development, first starting in F Minor, working its way back to the tonic. It abounds in chordal difficulties.

Recapitulation (MM 262 - end (376): About the same as the exposition, just without an orchestral exposition. The second part of the exposition is in B-flat Major, NOT F Major, and the minor section is in B-flat Minor, NOT F Minor. An additional section at the end marks a lengthy coda.

Overall this movement contains triumphic, calm/cajoling, as well as stormy/impassioned moments.

[edit] Second Movement

2. Scherzo - Allegro appassionato (in D minor)

Brahms sent a letter to his friend describing this scherzo as a "tiny wisp of a scherzo." However, it is strongly impassioned music that lasts for more than 9 minutes. Like most scherzi, this movement is in ternary form. A rarity in concerti movements is that in this movement, a repeat is required for a large section. The movement is special that it unites the piano and orchestra closer together.

Analysis

Measures 1 to 105 are repeated.

A1

i. The piano states the main theme forcefully, with a small but exceedingly fitting orchestral accompaniment. It continues to play with a substantial orchestral accompaniment while develping this theme.

ii. After this development, the strings at measure 43 play a secondary theme, marked "tranquillo e dolce" that is exceedingly important in this scherzo; it serves as the rhythmic basis for several other motifs. Piano and strings play a usually quiet, melancholy section.

Transition

The wind instruments play a modulation of the first theme, with piano outbursting in a manner similar to Beethoven's music. Piano and orchestra work through an explosive section based heavily on key modulations. Rhythmic motifs from an earlier melancholy section are heard, eventually leading to the next section.

B

This section is in the parallel key, D Major. The strings play the theme for this section, which is more triumphant than the main section. Piano responds with octaves, made difficult through the requirement of lightness yet legato at the same time. The music builds in tension until the theme in D Major is repeated by the piano and orchestra.

A

(Work in progress)

The music progresses in a similar matter as the original main section, except right off from melancholy, the music turns darker, marked "sempre piu agitato." The music grows more passionate and tense until reaching a climax, ending the movement.

[edit] Third Movement

Andante (B-flat Major/ F-sharp Major)

(Work in progress)

This movement is unusual in that there is an arrangement for solo cello in this work, thus looking into Brahms's chamber music tendencies. The opening melody is beautiful and serene.

[edit] Fourth Movement

Allegretto grazioso

(Work in progress)

Brahms described this movement as a "little kitten with tiger fangs," which fits this movement well due to its elegance.

[edit] Notable Interpretations

[edit] External links

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Concertos by Johannes Brahms